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Today is the second day of ASCA’s Life Safety Code for ASCs virtual course. Streaming live today at noon ET, this course provides a comprehensive overview of CMS and NFPA requirements for ASCs. Register now to stream today’s sessions live and get all sessions from both days on demand starting tomorrow, October 25. The program is also available for purchase as part of the 2023 Virtual Course Bundle— a package that gives you three courses for the price of two! |
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Learn how to take a new surgery center from concept to reality, and support the facility’s long-term success, in the newest episode of ASCA’s Advancing Surgical Care Podcast, “Constructing and Opening an ASC.” In this program, Deb Yoder, RN, CASC, vice president of clinical operations for Surgical Management Professionals, talks with podcast host and ASCA Chief Executive Officer Bill Prentice about the process and provides insights into how to address the most critical concerns, including the initial feasibility study, a realistic timeline and an informed plan for managing future growth. |
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The data submission period for the third quarter (Q3) of ASCA’s 2023 Clinical & Operational Benchmarking Survey will close next Tuesday, October 31. This valuable online resource provides data you can use to improve clinical outcomes, staff indicators, billing performance and more at your facility. If you haven’t already, subscribe today so you can submit your data and receive valuable comparison data. ASCA members save $150 on subscriptions to the 2023 survey. Purchase your subscription now. |
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Changes in ASC Reimbursement and Implications for Interventional Pain ProceduresAs an industry leader, the Medtronic Health Economics and Patient Access team is committed to the ongoing educating of our customers, making them aware of changes that can impact coding, coverage, and payment in Pain Interventions. As such, we invite you to our latest overview that highlights the upcoming Tricare reimbursement methodology changes for Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) for Interventional Pain Procedures that will take effect October 1, 2023. You may access this on-demand presentation here.
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ASCA’s National Advocacy Day will return February 26–28, 2024. National Advocacy Day gathers engaged members of the ASC community from across the country to advocate for their facilities and the high-quality care they deliver. It is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with your members of Congress and their staff to educate them about the many benefits ASCs offer and issues currently impacting their ability to provide care. Help ASCA gauge interest in next year’s event by completing a brief survey. Please note that submitting this form will not register you for the event. |
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NEW! State of the Industry Report: Best Practices & Proven Data for Optimizing ASC OperationsLeading surgery centers understand the importance of using data to inform business decisions. The 2023 report is compiled from industry experts & HST's unique data to help you:
- Learn about best practices
- See key process steps for major operational areas
- See data benchmarks to compare your performance against others
Read the full report here.
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On October 12, ASCA representatives met virtually with Doug Jacobs, MD, chief transformation officer of the Center for Medicare at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Ryan Howe, who serves as the acting director for the Center for Medicare’s Hospital & Ambulatory Policy Group, joined Jacobs in the meeting along with a few other CMS staff. ASCA requested this meeting to discuss concerns with the 2024 proposed payment rule for ASCs and hospital outpatient departments (HOPD), which was released on July 13. Read this Digital Debut to learn more. |
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On October 12, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the 2024 inpatient hospital deductible and coinsurance amounts. The 2024 Medicare inpatient deductible will increase by $32 to $1,632. This policy is relevant to ASCs, as Medicare beneficiary coinsurance is capped at the inpatient deductible amount when the procedure is performed at a hospital outpatient department (HOPD), while no such cap exists for procedures performed at ASCs. As a result, high-cost procedures will be more expensive for Medicare beneficiaries when performed in ASCs relative to hospitals.
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With the arrival of crisp Fall temperatures, thoughts turn once again to looming Medicare payment cuts to physicians in the coming new year. And all eyes are on the fate of one new code set to go into effect in 2024 that is paid via the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
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JD Supra (10/13/23) Thomas Greeson
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Best estimates suggest that 90 to 100 surgical fires occur annually in the United States, creating safety hazards for patients, surgical teams and the operating room environment. Specifically, most surgical fires and burns are associated with the use of an electrosurgical device while performing head and neck surgery.
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Joint Commission Press Release (10/18/23)
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Reducing barriers to Advanced Alternative Payment Model (APM) participation for physicians in rural areas could help promote value-based care and control rising Medicare spending, according to research from the US Government Accountability Office. Both Medicare enrollment and spending are expected to increase in the coming years, highlighting the urgency to control expenditures within the program.
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RevCycle Intelligence (10/23/23) Victoria Bailey
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Medtronic is issuing this notification to inform the public of stolen defective McGRATH MAC video laryngoscopes that have been offered for sale illegally by unauthorized third parties through various social media platforms. These affected products did not pass Medtronic’s rigorous quality tests established for the product, were not released for sale, distribution, or importation and were designated for destruction.
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FDA Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts (10/19/23)
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Springfield Clinic’s new Peoria Surgery Center got a formal ribbon cutting on Wednesday, complete with cocktails and appetizers. The new state-of-the-art facility will be offering surgical procedures that can range from biopsies to colonoscopies, hernias, and others.
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WMBD (10/18/23) Sam Godby
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SullivanCotter, the nation’s leading independent consulting firm in the assessment and development of total rewards programs, workforce solutions, and data products for health care and not-for-profits, has released its 2023 Physician Compensation and Productivity Survey report. The report reveals the most significant median total cash compensation increases for Primary Care (9.5 percent) and Hospital-Based (8.7 percent) specialties, and finds increases across most specialty areas in 2023.
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Business Wire (10/19/23)
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About ASCAMission: The Ambulatory Surgery Center Association (ASCA) is the national membership association that represents ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and provides advocacy and resources to assist ASCs in delivering high-quality, cost-effective ambulatory surgery to all the patients they serve. About Us: At ASCA, we are eager to help you become better acquainted with our nation's ASCs and the people who own and operate them. We are also eager to help you develop policies on ASC-related issues. If you have questions, please contact us. We'll put you in touch with the experts and, if you like, arrange for you to visit an ASC in your area. Contact Us: Advertising inquiries should be addressed to Chris Schriever or Alex Yewdell at 202.337.1897 or at advertising@ascassociation.org. Follow ASCA on
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